Coin-controlled call-recording device for telephone systems.



Patented pct. 24, I899.

.1. B. GILL. COIN CONTROLLED CALL RECORDING DEVICE FOR TELEPHONESYSTEMS.

( Application filed mm. 16, 189p.

. 2 Sheets$heet (No Model.)

| IILIIIInIIII \l|| llullvllll m: norms PETERS cu. wuoroumou wnsumurcn,n. c.

.No. 635,378. Patented Oct. 24, I899. J. B. GILL.

0 0|N CONTROLLED CALL RECORDING DEVKIF. FUR TELEPHONE SYSTEMS.

(Application filed Mar. 16, 1899.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Shem 2,

Fries JAMES B. e1LL,.or SAN FRANCISCO, cnmronnm.

COIN-CONTROLLED CALL-RECORDING DEVICE FOR TELEPHONE SYSTEMS.

fi'PEGIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent 1\l'o.'686,d78 datedfictober 2 a, 3.B99. Application filed-March 16] 1899. Serial at.109,348. (H 0 model.)

To wll'whom. it may concern:

Beit'icnown that I, JAMES B. GILL, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing in the city and county of San Francisco, in the Stateof California, have invented-new and useful Improvements inCoin-Controlled Cali- Recording Devices forTelephone Systems, of

which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements made in means or devices formaking a per manent record of the calls sent in and the number ofswitches or connect-ionsmade between a subscribers line andother linesin. a telephone system; and the said improvements comprise certain novelparts andcombination of parts, as hereinafter described, and pointed outin the claims at the end of this specification.

The said improvements comprise, among others, recording mechanism ofnovel construction, consisting of a rotatable record card, a markingdevice operating to make a permanentrecord-mark on the card, mechanismfor setting the marking device and for projecting it againsttherecord-card, and an electrically-controlled actuating means adapted torelease the marking device for action;

also .in combination with this recording mechanisrn,a novel means forcontrolling the marking device electrically from a central station,whereby the device cannot operate until after a coin of a certaindenomination is insertedin the recording mechanism; also, a novel meansfor rejecting anddischarginga coin from the box whenit differs in sizeor value from the standard of the coin with which the recordingmechanism is constructed to operetc; also, novel means'oontrolled by theoperator intthe centralstation for dropping or discharging the coin fromthemg filla'nism into the coin-receptacle of the box ditto, the enera-1.combination and constrnctiott of said parts and devices with themechanism producing a recordingdevice for a snbscribers telephonecontrollabledfrom the central station and operative only when a coin ofa given value has been deposited in the coin-receivorof the de vice.

'Ihefollowingdescriptionexplainsatlength manner ofconstructing,.applying,'and carrying out the same, reference being had,to jhe accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a recording mechanism embodying-thenovel parts and featnresof the present invention, the front of theinclosing box being removed and portions of the record-card and parts ofthe" ,mechanismbeing broken away and shown in of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is adetail view, in front elevation, of the coin-chute and parts of theelectrically-controlled mechanism operated from the central station todrop the previously-i11 to-expos'e the mechanism inside. Figs. 9 and- 10are top views in detail of the marking de vice in two portions,Fig. 9showiugit drawn back and set for operation,an.d Fig. 10 representing'itsposition at the end of its forward throw after it has marked the card;Fig. 11 is a side viewin detail of the slide, the stasection to exposeparts in the rear. Fig. 2 is a side elevation taken from the left-handside tionaryhupport, and the locking-lever of the marking device. Fig.12'is a rear view of the coin-chute, illustrating a part or attachmentthat is combined for operation with the other mechanism to close thecontact-springs in the relay-circuit when the deposited coin is notsuificiently heavy to act on the springs.

- A disk or wheel A, with a clamp bifor securing to its'front face arecord-card B, is mounted for rotation en a central-arbor'or pivot on;on which support it is free to turn in a vertical plane, and the pivotis also capable of a rectilinear movement in a plane it a pointer ormarker be heidagainst the card secured on the face of the disk while '95coincident with the plane at rotation, sothat:

the disk is rotated a continnons spiral line the nature of the saidimprovements and the will be described on the card by'tirtnefit the.

2 .ce5,37e

' cumferonce toward the center in a regularlydecreasing curve, in whicha fixed stud or pin of, projecting from the front of the bracket abovethe slotted bearing, is fitted to work, so that the rotation of the diskon its pivot has the effect to produce an upward movement of the pivotin the slot, and by the combination of the two movements nspiral curvewill be described on the face of the dial: it a pointer be held incontact with it. A threaded spindle b, with a nut b furnishes the means,for holding the clamp against the record-card B to cause it to turn withthe disk.

Cis a statipnary block on the front of the bracket Cfhav ing a verticalslit C to admit the rim of the card B, and also a horizontal slotC,eztending through the block and'transverscly acrossthe slit C 7 D is aslide-plate mounted on a stationary su pport formed of a bar A andslidable thereon in a plane at right angles to the plane of rotation ofthe disk, the said plate being attached to the support by studs a a,working-in slots 0, a in the bar. A puncturingnsedle D is clamped in asocket (1 by a screw d so as to extend into and project through the slotC in the horizontal movements of the slide. These parts I) Dconstitute'a puncturing device by which a permanent record-mark is madeon the card B every time the point of the-needle is forced through thecard. In addition -to this function of puncturing the card the needle ineach forward throw rotates the card-carrying disk and turns the same afraction of a complete rotation, by virtue of which the punctures arespaced at regular intervals apart. This movement of the slide 1) iseffected by setting the front guide-slot (t at an angle across thelongitudinal line of reciprocation of the slide, so that the front endwill move at an angle over and to one sideof the longitudinal centerline, while the rear end of the slide will swing on the stud a as acenter of motion in such forward throw of the slide.

Viewed from the front of the box the lateral movement of the puncturingdevice D takes place from right to left in the backward movement of theslide, but from left to right in the forward throw of the slide, and theefiect of this as the needle is projected through the card is to rotatethe disk a distance corresponding to the extent of lateral throw, andthereby space the record-marks made by the needle. This marking devicethus performs the two functions of puncturing the card and of rotatingit on its axis to 5 space the holes.

on the slide.

box, having a stem with a head I on the lower end, and F is a bell-cranklever pivoted at f to a stationary piece A andconnecting the push-buttonwith the-slide-plate I). The end of the horizontal member of thislevenis offset laterally to bring it under the stem of the push-button,and the end of the perpendicnlar member rests against a shoulder or lugd. The slide is projected forward by a coiled spring F, attached to theslide at d and to a fixed point in front, and a locking device holds theslide back ready for action. At the proper times to throw the markingdevice forwardngainst'the card the slide is released by mechanismactuated by the vibration of an armature operated through the medium ofa relay in an electric circuit. The locking means to hold back the slideconsists of the dog (1 on the bottom of the slide-plate D engaging thenotches of the ratchet G on an arm or member Gkdepending perpendicularlyfrom the pivot g'.. A spring g holds the ratchet up against the dog orprojection H is a relay, and H avibrating armaturelever pivoted at h andhaving a perpendicularmeinber-H extendingupward behind the tripping-armQ, in such relation thereto that in the movement-of the armature underthe attraction 'by the relay the lever H will strike the tripping'armand release the dog 11 from the ratchet G. The relay H is connected intothe main circuit of the line, so as to be under the control of theoperator at the central station to be energized at will; but at thesubscribers telephone -its circuit stands normally open and is closed bythe coin .deposited in the box. Thus the recording mechanism is allowedto act only at the will of the operator in the main office, and, on theother hand, the relay cannot be energized until the coin has beendropped in the box. This controlling means is composed of twocircuitclosing springs L M, interposed in the circuit of the relay andlocated between the inlet end of the coin-chute and its outlet end insuch po sition with respect to the coimpassage that one spring will bepressed against the other by the descending coin and the circuit will beclosed in the movementof the coin through the hute. The construction andoperation of UM controlling mechanism will be understood from the detailviews Figs. 2, 3, 5, and 8. The contact L is a spring-tongue on thefront of the chute I, insulated from it by a block L and with its freeend extending across the other contact M, which is secured to anextension M" on the upright member II of the armature-lever ll". Thepart M is insulated at m and has an inclined or wedge-shaped edge "m,setting through a slot I in the front side of the chute I and into thecoin-passage, so that the descending coin striking this incline willpress out the spring -M and bring the same in electrical contact withthe spring L. The same member M has a lipor pro- TKO seams 4 joctionmstandingacross the throat of the coin-passage below the incline orbetween that point and the coin-receptacle in such po- ;'sition that itwill hold back the coin 'in the the gate-away from the passage andallows "the-coin to roll into the conductor or receptacle provided tocatch it. The circuit through i the relay is carried from a post ptooneconftl'ct L and from the post 17 to the relay by a wire a: and fromthe windingspffillfi relay the contact M by a wire y, no that'the cir-.enit issopen at the two'points L lid, The re,-

lay-circuit, being connected into the local-"nattery-circ'nii of thetelephone, is arranged to he energized-by cutting out the resistance ofthe snoscribers line, which is done at the centrai station in theusnal'manner by' means of the operators switch; but-until this takesplace the relay'is inactive and the recording mcchanisnicannot operate.As thus con" strnoted. it will besecn that the recording mechanisniisunder the control of the opei ator in the main oifice or station to theextent oi being held out of action after being set and of operatingonly-when its relay-is energins-ii, while, ontlie other hand, the devicecan operate only after the required coin has been deposited, because therelay-circuit remains open at L M until thevcoin brings one spring inelectrical contact with the other.

in connection with this mechanism there is provided a coin-dischargingmechanism,

throns' h the medium of which coins differing in size or value from thestandard coin required to he need in the device can be divertcd from thecoin-passage through the chute and discharged tothe outside of the boxinstead of being dropped and retained in 3 the box This means consistsof an aperture F in the back. of the chiite I, of proper size to lot acoin drop through, and a gate P, fitted to control. that opening and tobe drawn away from it by a push-rod P operated from the outside of thebox and having a beveled or wedge-shaped end set-tin in line with therear face of the gate P, so that the longitu; dinal movement of the rodbringing this inclinod face against the gate will force that part backaway fronigthe outlet-slit in the chute, l

The gate P is attached to the side of the chute by a hinged lever P,that brings the gate to place after it has been moved back to nodischarge the coin, and the operating-rod P 1 s returned to position bya coiled spring 1".

A trough or conductor S extending from the apertn re in the back of thechute to a slit S in the side oft-he box, discharges 'tlieooin outsidewhen the gate is opened. Through this outlet 3. coin of smallerdenomination if accidentally inserted can be recovered from the boxinstead of being deposited i nthe receptaclewith the other coins, d sthe inechanisin is adjusted to operate with a coin only of a given sizethe inserted coin can be discharged to the outside of the box throughthe opening P at any time-instead of being d posited in the receptacleinside.

, To insure thecoin being deposited in the box and tho push-lontton Ebeing released before the record is made on the card, a cutoff R,working through a slot in the back of the chute and across thecoin-passage,-is connected with the push button E, so as to be drawnback clear of the/ passage when that button is pressed, but to return toplace across the passage as soon as the butt-on is released.

Figs. 3 and 4, consists of the. pivoted latch R, attached by a loosejoint R to the back of the chute and having a lower end It at rightanglee to the arm R, working through an openings the chute, so as toextend into and lie across the coin-passage. Inthe upper part of thelatch is an inclined slot R" to take aorosspin T,'that is fixed in anupright rod '1, working in a gn-idel? in the box behind the coin-chute.One e f the 0ss-pin rests in the inclined slot f the lltifi Whilethe-other extends under the 59999;? of the lever F and projects inthem-til if nc or projection F on the horizontal'arm of the lever F.vThus the push buttonwhile acting upon thelever F to set the slide D alsodraws the latchback from the coin-passage at the same moment and the,latch is throw n19? ward to place by the spring R flfiidl the pressureis taken 0d the pnsh bn'tton.

The rod T- terminates in a footfll that is Thiscut-olf, as shown in thedetail views too adapted to strike and move the relay when pressure isapplied'to tho'rbd from above, and a coiled spring T returns the rod toposition, releasing both the armature and the latch R as soon as thepressure is removed from the push-button. The rod th as performs the twofunctions of operating the latch to drop the coin and of forcing thearmature away from the Poles of the relay in case it may be held up toit by the residual magnetism at the end of the operation. Also byholding back the armature until the pressur IIO is removed,fromtliepush-button this rod T prevents the operatofintho ontral ofiicc fromenergizing the relay aiidt hfireby releasing the recordingdeviceforopera on before ihecoin has been dropped into the coin-chute.

Provision is made for exposing to view the coin last deposited byarranging on one side of the box acoin-pocket V, with a glass frontV,'and connecting the outlet end of the coinchute I with thispockct byaninclined trough or conductor S, from which the coins are dischargedthrough an opening S in the bottom of the trough whereit joins thepocket V and are dropped into a receptacle lV, provided for them in thelower partof the box. This outletis controlled by a swinging gate V",oper-Q,

ated'in one direction by gravity to close the opening and retain thecoin in the ocket and thrown away from the opening uring the backwardthrow of the needle-carrying slide by an arm T, projecting laterallyfrom the slide and rigidly attached to that part, and an upright lever Vpivotally attached to the side of the box and carrying on its lowermember the gate V. The upper member of this lever above the pivot Vstands behind and inthe path of the arm T, so that the movementon itspivot has the effect-to draw the gate back and uncover the aperture S,and this movement takes place each time in the setting movement of the.slide 1) and somewhat in advance of the progress of the coin through thech ute and down the inclined trough. The previously-deposited coinalready lodged in this pocket V is caused to drop through the aperture Sin the trough, and the gate is returned to place to close the openingbefoie thelastdepositcd coin reaches the opening, so that one coin isdischarged from the pocket before the next one is lodged in itforinspection. This construction has the advantage of affording a clearview of every coin before it is finally deposited in the receptacleprovided in thebox.

The device thus constructed is attached for operation to the battery ofthe subscribers telephone or in position where itcan be connected andoperated conveniently, and, the relay II being properly connected intothe l local circuit, the operation of the mechanism proceeds as follows:Aftcrthc coin is inserted in the box and the push-button is pressed downand released the coin drops into the lower part of the chute, wherebycontact with the wedge m it throws the spring M against the spring L.The same movement oi the push-button sets back the slide D ready foraction, and the relay-circuit being closed at L M by the coin the leverG will trip the ratchet that holds back the slide as soon as theoperator at the central oiiice throws the battery on the relayll. iythat operation the needle is projected against the recordcard and apermanent record is made thereon. In this. movement the laterai throw ofthe slide D causes the disk B to turn on its conterashortdistancc,according to the length of the lateral throw made by the needle. At thetime of each punctuation, therefore, the disk is turned a fraction oi a'complete rotation on its axis. When the push-button E is pressed downagain, the slide is drawn back and set for the next operation. in thatmove ment the needle is withdrawn from the card withont turning it, asthe amount of penetration is only sullicient to cause the needle toengage the card suiiicicntly to turn it, and the resistance of the fixedpin that engages the spiral is sufficient to hold the card from beingturned back by the retraction of the needle.

A relatively small disk can be made to contain a considerable number ofrecord-marks by giving the disk an upward movement in a 4 eeacve ment,as already described, so that the line of punctures made by the needlewill run in a continuous spiral line beginning at the circumference anddecreasing in size as it runs toward the center.

Provision is made for insuring the proper movement of the incline m inthe case of a coin of lightweight that is not sutlicieutly heavy toactpropcrly on the incline. in such case a lever N, attached to T'theback of the chute on a pivot M, is provided with an up right member, inthe end of which is a pin n", setting horizontally across and extendingthrough a slot '1 in the coin-chute, so as to lie across thecoin-passage, and with an anguiar member a projecting'in-the path of a.pin T in the push-rod T. In the downward movement of the rod 'ihestop Tengaging this end of the lever will throw the opposite end in the slot 1against the edge of the coin lying in the coin-passage with asutiicientdegree of pressure from above to press the coin against theincline m and thereby force the same outward. This attachmentis designedto be used oniy in cases where coins of light weight may be dropped inthe box,and under all other conditions it' may be dispensed with. Y

Having thus fully described myinvention, what I claim as new therein,and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A coin-controlied recording mechanism for telephone systems,including a recordcard, a marking device, means projecting the markingdevice against the face of the card, means for moving the card to spacethe inarkings thereon, means for setting and locking the marking devicefor action, and coin-controlled means whereby the marking device isreleased by a current from the central station at the will of theoperator.

2. A coin-controlled recording mechanism for telephone systems,including a recordcsrd, a marhingdevice, means projecting said markingdevice against the face of the card, means for moving the card to spacethe rnarkings thereon, means for setting and locking said marking devicefor action, means whereby the marking device is released by a currentfrom the line circuit, and coin controlled 7 means whereby the circuitnormally open at. the recording mechanism is restored by the insertedcoin.

3. A coin-controlled recording mechanism, including a rotatablerecord-card, a marking device movable in a. plane perpendicular to theface oi the card, means projecting the marking device iujainst the card,means for moving back and locking the marking device in position foraction, means for rotating the card, and coin-controlled means wherebythe marking device is released by a current from the central station. v

4. A r: ording mechanism, includinga rotatable record-card, a markingdevice movable in a plane perpendicular to the card, means forprojecting the marking device against the record-card, means for settingthe marking device for said movement, an electrically-eontrolledreleasingdevioe in an open circuit in which is included acircuit-closing and setting the marking device, a releasing device andmeans for operating said releasing deyiceadapted to be set in operativecondition by the insertion'ot a coin therein.

6. In a eoin eontrolled recording mechanism the combination, with arotatable record- 'card, a reciprocating markingdevice, means forprojecting the same aga-instthe face of the card, a puslnbntton andmeans eonneot ing the same with the marking device to draw hack and setthe latter for operation, a coin-;

controlled releasing device adapt ed 'to release theoperative means thatprojects the marking device against the record-card, and means forimparting limited i'otative movement to the record-card at eachoperation of the markingdevieo.

7. The combination ofthe rotatable disk,

means for attaching a record-card thereto, a marking device operating ina plane perpendicular to the record-card to impinge against the facethereof, means for drawing back and setting the marking device foroperation means for projecting the latter against the card, a releasingmeans consisting of a locking-lever, a relayin an open circuit in which.are included circuit-closing contacts, an armature adapted by theattraction of the relay to-trip the locking-lever and release the marking device, means forelosing-said relay-circuit comprising a coin-chute,a device interposed in the path of the coin by engagement therewith toclose the electrical contacts in the relay-circuit, and means forenergizing the relay at will after the circuit thereof is closed'by thecoin.

S. In a coin-controlled mechanism the combination with the coin-chute I,of the pushrod '1, push-button E means connecting the latter with therod, and. the lever Nhaving one arm engaging spin on the push-rod andanother arm adapted to work through a slot in-the back of the eoin-ehuteand to engage theedge of the deposited coin from above. w In testimonythat I claim the forogoingi have hereunto set my hand and seai.

1 JAMES "s. GILL; -iL.

Witnesses;

, Ii. 'JJ'LANG';

FDWARD EOsnona

